In the printing arts, and in particular in the commercial printed label art for labeling and decorating consumer products, there exists a continual demand for labels and decorations which not only appeal to consumers, but also bear ever increasing amounts of printed information. For example, labels for identification of consumer health care and pharmaceutical products are often required by governmental regulations to describe in painstaking detail their compositions and ingredients. As new food and drug laws are passed, regulations require the inclusion of increasing amounts of label information. Manufacturers of consumer products and their packaging vendors have devised various schemes for inclusion of such extensive information. Among these are simply printing the information in small type on a product container box or carton, or including an information insert sheet within the box or carton. Obvious drawbacks to these schemes include increased packaging costs associated with a box or carton, and the fact that boxes, cartons, and insert sheets are often promptly discarded by a consumer.
In general in the labeling and packaging arts, various forms of so-called “extended text” labels have been proposed to provide increased printed information. One such extended text label type that has gained wide popularity is the booklet type label, where a base ply is joined to a top ply via an adhesive coupling or “hinge” between the two plies. An example of this type of label is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,264,265 issued to Kaufmann, entitled “PEEL-BACK RE-SEALABLE MULTI-PLY LABEL”.
Attempts have been made to provide extended text labeling for particular containers and unique uses associated therewith. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,967,560 issued to Seidl entitled “HANGING LABEL”, a label includes an integral suspension strap for suspending a bottle (e.g., an intravenous infusion bottle) to which the label is attached.
However, no provision has heretofore been made for simply and inexpensively labeling a tube container with an extended text label.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,129,959 issued to Mercer, et al., entitled “SLEEVE LABEL WITH INTEGRAL FLAP AND/OR HEADER”, a tubular sleeve of polymeric film is adapted for use as a sleeve label on a consumer product such as a plastic bottle or jug. The sleeve label may provide a tear-off coupon.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,162,158 also issued to Mercer, et al., entitled “METHOD OF FABRICATING A SLEEVE LABEL WITH MULTILAYERED INTEGRAL FLAPS”, a sleeve label is fabricated from a sheet of multi-folded polymeric material. Additional folding results in a multi-page booklet type label for a bottle or jug.
Labels such as those disclosed above, however, are not suited for providing extended text labeling of tube containers. Specifically, tube containers typically do not have a uniform circumference, and are subject to deformation in use by squeezing to force product out therefrom. Thus, the disclosed labels cannot be satisfactorily utilized with such tubes.
Therefore, there exists a need for an extended text label for a tube container that may be readily secured thereto, and that may be simply and inexpensively produced.
It is generally accepted and well-known in the label making arts that in-line printing and converting processes offer the most cost-effective label production. An exemplary in-line method is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,849,043 issued to Instance, entitled “METHOD OF PRODUCING LABELS”.
Therefore, there also exists a need for an in-line converting and printing process for manufacture of such extended text labels for tube containers.